When you decide to stop breastfeeding your little one, it’s natural to wonder how long it takes for your breasts to return to normal after weaning .
Throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding, your breasts have probably stretched, swollen, and leaked more than you can remember. And once you’re done weaning, you may notice that your breasts look different than they used to, in size, shape, and even appearance.
But are these changes entirely due to breastfeeding? Not entirely. Here’s what really happens to your breasts after breastfeeding.
Here is a more in-depth explanation regarding how long it takes for breasts to return to normal after weaning, which is what mothers need to know.
Why Does Breastfeeding Change the Shape and Size of Breasts?
Your breasts have been growing since your pregnancy and will change drastically on the third or fourth day postpartum, namely your breasts can enlarge temporarily. Why is that? After you give birth (deliver) the placenta, your body will start making prolactin, a hormone that starts the production of breast milk.
However, if you are not breastfeeding, your breasts will start to shrink within a few days. If you are breastfeeding, your breasts will likely remain large, although you may notice them getting smaller after each feeding.
Once your baby starts eating solid foods or solid foods (usually around 6 months), your breasts may start to shrink. After weaning, your breasts will return to their pre-pregnancy size or close up, as quoted on the What to Expect page.
What Do Breasts Change Like After Breastfeeding?
So, will my breasts change after breastfeeding? Your breasts may look very different after you stop breastfeeding, but breastfeeding is not necessarily the reason. In fact, these changes have likely been happening for a year or two – since the early stages of your pregnancy.
In the weeks after conception, your body begins to prepare for breastfeeding by increasing the production of pregnancy hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which causes more fatty tissue to accumulate in the breasts and increases blood flow to the area.
As your breasts continue to grow, the ligaments underneath them also begin to stretch, which is one reason why they may appear less elastic after you give birth. These changes can also be permanent — and they usually occur whether you’re breastfeeding or not.
The bottom line is that even before you started breastfeeding, your breasts were already beginning this process (and accomplishing some pretty amazing things along the way). So it’s natural that once you’re done weaning — and after your body has reduced its milk production — your chest might feel a little deflated or smaller.
How Long Does It Take for Breasts to Return to Normal After Weaning?
The next question is, how long after breastfeeding do the breasts return to normal?
After you stop breastfeeding, it will take at least six weeks for your milk-producing tissues to shrink.
Even after that, you may still find that your breasts leak occasionally, especially during sex.
It may take up to three months before you really see your breasts’ “new normal,” as quoted by Peanut.
How to Return Breasts to Normal Shape and Size before Breastfeeding
While you may not be able to completely avoid the effects of pregnancy and aging, there are steps you can take to care for your breasts, as suggested by Healthline.
Wear a Supportive Bra
Finding a bra that fits well and supports your breasts is important. No matter what size your breasts are, proper support is key.
If you don’t wear a bra that fits properly (not too small or too big), the sensitive breast tissue will not be supported for a long time, which can cause the breasts to sag.
Therefore, wearing a proper bra that provides support for the breasts is essential for breast tissue during daily activities. The right bra will help prevent pain and “ sagging ” during breastfeeding and beyond.
Choosing a bra that gives your chest a little lift will go a long way in shaping your breasts after breastfeeding. Consider a form-fitting bra that has cups that are made to fit the top of your breasts. Also consider a bra that can provide the support and lift you want for your comfort and appearance.
Before you go shopping for bras in bulk, wait 3 to 6 months after breastfeeding to allow your body to adjust and your breasts to adjust to their new shape. Then you can fill your drawers with all the bras you want to support your new shape.
Take Care of Your Breast Skin
Healthline writes, some mothers may experience dry skin on their breasts and other parts of their body. To help minimize dryness while breastfeeding and beyond, it is recommended that mothers use a skin care lotion that is suitable for their skin type. This is especially important as you age because your skin becomes drier and thinner.
Don’t Neglect Your Nipples
Take immediate steps to treat nipple sensitivity, blistering, bleeding, and cracking. Some things that may help are:
- lanolin
- coconut or olive oil
- calendula based cream
If the above doesn’t work, you may want to follow up with your doctor for a stronger type of medication. Your doctor may suggest All Purpose Cream (APC), a prescription cream that contains a topical steroid.
Avoid Smoking
In addition to other health risks, smoking has an effect on your skin’s elasticity. Talk to your doctor about a smoking cessation program.
Try to Accept the Changes That Occur
No two breasts are the same, even if they are paired. All women have some degree of imbalance between their breasts. As your breasts enlarge during pregnancy, the differences may become more pronounced, as one breast may have more milk ducts or production capacity.
After breastfeeding, your breasts may be larger or smaller than they were before pregnancy. They may look and feel different than they did before. Give yourself time to adjust to these changes.
When to Call a Doctor About Breast Changes After Breastfeeding?
If you notice red streaks on your breasts or feel painful lumps in them, you may have mastitis, an infection that develops when germs enter your body through cracks in your nipples or when your milk ducts become blocked.
Other symptoms of mastitis include fever, chills, or flu-like muscle aches. Your doctor can give you a diagnosis and will likely prescribe you a cycle of oral antibiotics, which will clear up the infection and ease the pain.
Call your doctor, too, if while breastfeeding your nipples are sore or feel like they’re burning, itching or crusting – it could be a sign of a mild yeast infection.
The many changes your body goes through during pregnancy and the postpartum period can be a lot to take in, but know that if you decide to breastfeed, breastfeeding will ultimately benefit you and your baby.
These are the things that mothers need to know about how long it takes for breasts to return to normal after weaning along with the care steps that you can take. Hopefully this is useful.
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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
